On December 5, 19..., a collision of two trains occurred at Tokyo Japanese Railroad Line. Two people died, over 90 were hospitalized. Very puzzled, the JR officials said the possibility of such a case was practically Zero. The work on funding out anyone's guilt turned extremely complicated...

     		
        JR BLUES


                Tied up in knots
                on the bare strings of the backside-tracks
                we are notes
                our syncopations amputated
                our chilled teeth ticking-n-chatt'ring 
                to the rhythm of the 'hi-hi' hieroglyphs marching
                on the digital time-table screen.

                The Switchman,
                clean-shaven for the rest of his life
                all fresh from his shoelaces to his contact-lenses
                sets up proper chords on the railroad ties
                calling out the spirit of Semaphore,
                his fingers professionally casual.

                But the speed is increasing
                and, exhausted down to his bones
                he excuses himself, after all,
                         	    for just four-and-a-half seconds 
                and when he's taking us out of the vending-machine
                just like a peaceful Coca-Cola can -
                we are already hissing and foaming
                ready to be consumed for a chance
                to mix that green with the red
                and in one convulsive gasp of the breaks
                to obtain the unknown
             Upbeat.


                                             Bullet train Tokyo - Kanazawa,
                                             December 19...